Jayapura, Jubi – A car carrying the leader of the Catholic Church’s Moni-Puncak Deanery, Father Yance Yogi, Pr, was shot at in Titigi Village, Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency, Central Papua, on Monday (6/29/2026). Inside the vehicle were also a number of congregants and workers building the Titigi bridge. One worker was reported injured as a result of the shooting.
Father Yance Yogi, Pr said the vehicle they were traveling in was shot at while trying to avoid an armed clash between the TNI-Polri (Indonesian Military-Police) and the TPNPB (West Papua National Liberation Army) at Wabu River.
However, bullets from several rounds fired pierced the body of the vehicle from the roof down to the lower left side near the side mirror. One bullet also went through the side of the car, causing one victim to sustain a minor injury.
“The central government and security forces want to accelerate development. But it’s strange that the vehicle carrying a priest and congregants accompanying workers building the bridge in Titigi became a shooting target,” said the Dean of the Moni-Puncak Deanery, Father Yance Yogi, Pr, when contacted by phone on Wednesday (7/1/2026).
According to Father Yance Yogi, aside from himself, the other passengers in the car were a nun, a Catholic Church minister, and an employee of Tunas Jaya Papua (TJP).
“Fortunately all the passengers survived the incident, even though the vehicle was damaged by bullets that pierced its body,” he said.
The Dean of the Moni-Puncak Deanery, Father Yance, who oversees church administration for Intan Jaya Regency, Puncak Regency, and Puncak Jaya Regency, explained that before the incident, he and the congregation had been accompanying the construction work on the bridge in Titigi being carried out by a company.
However, at around 3:30 PM local time, an armed clash broke out between security forces (TNI-Polri) and the TPNPB around Wabu River.
“Because of that gunfight, I asked the company to head immediately to Titigi to avoid a situation that was becoming increasingly dangerous,” he said.
The group, consisting of company representatives, workers, and congregants, used an excavator to head to Titigi to avoid the site of the armed clash. However, before reaching their destination, they were met with a barrage of gunfire.
“We all immediately got down from the heavy equipment, knelt around the excavator and prayed for God’s protection. We stayed there until the situation began to calm down,” said Father Yogi.
He said that about 50 minutes after the gunfire began to subside, he and the group left their hiding place. Father Yogi then contacted congregants to come pick them up using a rectory vehicle.
The vehicle that arrived carried a nun, church preachers, and members of the Church Parish Council (BPGS), who at the time were still wearing the formal vestments of the Catholic Church.
“But as the car was about to move away from the location, the vehicle we were riding in was shot at repeatedly. So bullets pierced the body of the car, hitting the front middle seat, and one passenger suffered a gunshot wound.”
Although the vehicle was damaged and one passenger sustained a minor gunshot injury, Father Yogi added that they were nonetheless grateful that all the passengers survived the crossfire between the TNI-Polri and the TPNPB.
“We believe God opened a way for us to survive the shooting, even though at the time we were still wearing the formal vestments of the Catholic Church and the Holy Cross,” he said.
Father Yance said that regarding the shooting of the rectory vehicle, his side would take appropriate steps to hold those who fired on the church-owned vehicle accountable.
They will coordinate with the relevant authorities to resolve this matter, and hope that the incident will not damage the good relations that have been established so far. Togetherness and cooperation among all parties must be maintained, so that the situation in Intan Jaya remains safe and peaceful.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Public Relations Task Force of Operation Damai Cartenz-2026, Senior Commissioner Yusuf Sutejo, said his side had no knowledge of and did not fire indiscriminately at the rectory vehicle carrying the Catholic Church leader.
“No ODC [Operasi Damai Cartenz] members fired indiscriminately,” he said when confirming via text message on Thursday (7/2/2026).
Jubi has attempted to seek confirmation from the Information Chief of Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih, Lieutenant Colonel Inf. Tri Purwanto, but Jubi had not received a response by the time this report was published. (*)
